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4 Facts You NEED To Know Before Writing A Job Description

Who thought writing a job description would involve statistics? Don’t worry, we got you covered! The numbers below are based on real, strategic reports made by researchers in the HR industry that will help you write an impactful job description tailored just right for attracting the right candidates.

1) Choose Character Count Wisely

According to Appcast’s 2019 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report , job titles that have less character count lead to an increase in application rates, and we have numbers to support this: Job titles with only 1-3 words have a 7.6% apply rate, 4-7 words have 4.9% apply rate and 8-11 words have a 5.0% apply rate.

But be careful, when writing your job title DO NOT include any symbols such as %, $, & or ! as it decreases the apply rate by 30%.

When it comes to job descriptions, character count still matters, and you must choose wisely. The jobs descriptions with the highest application rates have between 300-800 words, ranging from 8.5% and 9.8% apply rate. The highest, with a 9.8% apply rate, is a job description containing 400 words.

So, if you want candidates to apply for the job you just posted, please take character count into consideration as it truly does influence application rates!

According to this engaging study, candidates believe that compensation and qualifications are the two most sought out and important pieces of information included in a job description. Not only do candidates want to see their salaries and benefits in a job posting, but statistical studies have shown that including a salary range increases the number of applicants by 50%.

Benefits have a role to play as well. The number of benefits added to your job description is relative to the percentage of increase in position’s apply rate. You can get an 8% apply rate by adding one benefit, but apply rates will increase to 11.5% as soon as you add a second benefit. If you add up to four or more benefits, your application rate can increase up to 22.5%!

However, always remember, important information such as compensation and benefits should be posted on the top of your job description and not the bottom – eye tracking tests show that readers will usually skip the bottom section of the description completely.

3) Be As Detailed As Possible

Generic descriptions about a job role and its responsibilities aren’t appealing to candidates at all. It is recommended that you set very specific, clear and measurable performance goals and descriptions to give candidates accurate insights into the role. Not only will readers understand exactly what is being asked of them and can prepare themselves accordingly for interviews, but you as an employer will sound professional and credible.

Clear and detailed performance goals should look something like this:

Lead a team of 12 direct reports, ensuring they meet their company goals while staying compliant with the company brand

Success in this role would mean increased sales by 6% and improving customer satisfaction by 4 NPS points.

Manage a budget of approximately $200k and perform 25 customer events and 5 sales trainingmeeting

If you don’t know what the role specific goals are, don’t worry! There are other areas in which you can emphasize detail. For example, when using industry-specific terminology such as “PSM” – write out “Partner Sales Manager” instead of using its abbreviation. Also, steer away from jargon titles such as “Excel Wizard” or “Coding Ninja” – it hurts your SEO performance and you risk candidates not taking you seriously!

4) Formatting for Success

The last important fact to know before writing your job description is that.. formatting matters! Here are the simple do’s and don’ts when it comes to formatting your job description.

Do’s – Bullet Points

Prioritize what’s important in clear and concise goals withfour to six bullet points.

Writing job descriptions doesn’t have to be tedious at all! It’s exciting to explore and understand your company goals while being creative and captivating candidates to apply for new roles.

With Enlizt, in addition to be able to create your own job descriptions in a fast and seamless way, you can also personalize your own company page and add videos about the role your opening or about the company itself! Check it out yourself!

Always remember:

Character Count, Compensation & Benefits, Details and Formatting all matter!

Keep these facts close to you when writing your job description, you’ll one step closer to success!

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